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4 Strategies to Better Engage the Millennial Traveler

Revinate + Skift

- Oct 15, 2014 12:54 pm

Skift Take

As millennial travelers continue to grow in affluence and influence, travel and tourism companies need to develop strategies to better engage with and drive business from this rising new breed of customer.

Adventurous, connected, and always on the move, millennials have become priority number one for travel brands. By 2020, they’re set to account for nearly half the workforce, and are already on pace to outspend baby boomers by 2030.

As this new generation of tech savvy travelers continues to grow in affluence and influence, travel and tourism companies are racing to develop strategies that will better engage with and drive business with this rising new type of traveler.

Below are a few strategies we’ve identified based off of recent millennial trends.

1. Go Mobile

Mobile travel sales are slated to reach $26 billion this year, more than doubling the amount spent in 2013. By 2017, that number jumps to $55 billion, accounting for one third of all digital travel sales in the country. Undoubtedly, one of the driving factors behind this jump is the millennial traveler.

They’ve come to expect hotels and travel companies to engage them on mobile, and are more likely to use a smartphone to book travel and purchase additional offers.

2. Use Targeted Guest Marketing

Travel companies have more information and insights on traveler segments across the board these days. Figuring out the wants and needs of the millennial traveler has gotten easier as data becomes more available and smart travel brands are using those insights to craft custom messaging, offers, and incentives. It’s the first logical step in giving millennial guests what they want.

3. Make it Personal(ized)

Millennial travelers are keen on receiving custom-tailored messaging and deals curated to match their personal tastes. They crave personalized experiences and aren’t shy about sharing their experiences with their highly connected networks of fellow Gen Y travelers.

They want their hotel to know their interests and preferences before they arrive, and want to see personalized recommendations sent to them in real-time during their trip.

4. Convenience is King

Millennials move fast and expect their hotel to keep up. They’re spontaneous and they know what they want…and they want it now. They expect quick feedback on travel review sites and instantaneous service at their request. To make a trip more convenient for the millennial traveler, travel brands need be listening to their guests around the clock, ready to take action at a moment’s notice.

Engaging the Millennial Traveler

New technology is making it easier to utilize the strategies necessary for turning the millennial traveler into a long-term customer.

inGuest by Revinate enables hotels to better engage with guests across their preferred channels, whether it’s mobile, in-person or on the Web. inGuest collects preferences and data as guests engage with hotel staff via the mobile app or mobile web and integrates with existing hotel systems to build and surface rich guest profiles. These guest profiles enable hotel staff to personalize service and send targeted communications that drive conversion. In short, inGuest is helping hoteliers engage travelers (millennial and otherwise) at all touch points of their journey.

To gain further insights on how to better engage millennial travelers, watch Revinate’s webinar on “Delivering the Ideal Millennial Experience,” available on-demand.